Detachable device for gripping, lifting, handling and tilting cooking utensils with two handles

ABSTRACT

The removable device for taking hold of, lifting, handling, and pouring from cooking utensils having two diametrically opposite outwardly-directed handles in the form of lugs ( 2 ), each of which has an opening ( 5 ) that is substantially parallel to the inner edge ( 6 ) of said lug ( 2 ), is characterized by the fact that it comprises a pair of removable shells ( 10 ) suitable for fitting over said lugs ( 2 ) and made of a thermally insulating material, each shell ( 10 ) presenting an internal cavity ( 11 ), which opens out laterally through an oblong orifice ( 13 ), which is suitable for receiving a lug ( 2 ) inserted through said orifice ( 13 ), and which is fitted with an internal locking/unlocking device ( 20 ) suitable for cooperating with the opening ( 5 ) in the lug ( 2 ) when received in said cavity ( 11 ).

[0001] The invention relates to a removable device for taking hold of,lifting, handling, and pouring from cooking utensils having twodiametrically opposite outwardly-directed handles in the form of lugs,each of which has an opening that is substantially parallel to the inneredge of said lug.

[0002] The opening in a lug is designed to co-operate with a dual-slopecatch of a removable handle in the form of a stick that also includes ahook for co-operating with the rim of the lug. The utensil can then beused as a pan having a removable handle. The other lug then serves nofunction.

[0003] The utensil can also be used as a two-handled pot for cookingfood on a fire or in an oven. Since both handles are made of metal, theycan lead to serious burning if the hot utensil is grasped or liftedusing bare hands. The use of a removable handle for lifting a hotcooking utensil can also be dangerous if the utensil contains a largequantity of food, since the torque to be exerted on the handle can thenbe greater than the maximum amount of torque that some people canproduce.

[0004] That is why it can be useful to be able to take hold of both lugsin both hands without getting burnt. This is usually done with thermallyinsulating, “oven” gloves.

[0005] FR A 2 416 677 proposes lugs including easily removable knobsthat are thermally insulating for the purpose of handling cookingutensils. The lugs proposed present a profile of width that increasesgoing outwards, and the knobs include grooves of corresponding profile,these grooves and the associated portion of each lug occupying acircular arc in a longitudinal direction, and preferably in a horizontalplane of the object. The grooves in the knobs and the portions of thelugs that co-operate therewith are preferably of dovetailed shape. Inthat document, no provision is made to lock the knobs on the lugs, andsaid lugs cannot be used to engage removable handles.

[0006] The object of the invention is to propose a device enabling thehands of a user taking hold of or lifting a hot cooking utensil by meansof its lugs to be protected effectively and safety.

[0007] The invention achieves this object by the fact that the devicecomprises a pair of removable shells suitable for fitting over said lugsand made of a thermally insulating material, each shell presenting aninternal cavity, which opens out laterally through an oblong orifice,which is suitable for receiving a lug inserted through said orifice, andwhich is fitted with an internal locking/unlocking device suitable forcooperating with the opening in the lug when received in said cavity.

[0008] Advantageously, the locking/unlocking device comprises a platemounted to tilt about a pivot shaft extending parallel to the oblongorifice and received in a clearance chamber formed inside thecorresponding shell and adapted to enable the plate to tilt between alocking position and an unlocking position, one of the ends of saidplate having a projecting catch suitable for being received in theopening of the lug on which the corresponding shell is engaged when saidplate is in its locking position, and the other end of said plate beingaccessible to the user to enable the user to tilt said plate into itsunlocking position so as to retract said catch by exerting manualpressure on said other end against torque exerted by resilient meanstending to tilt said plate towards its locking position.

[0009] Preferably, the clearance chamber for the plate comprises a frontzone opening out above the middle portion of the cavity, and a rear zoneopening out into a through orifice formed in the corresponding shellsubstantially perpendicularly to the plate, and in which the other endof the plate that is remote from the source of heat is engaged, saidother end being controllable through the orifice and not projecting inany way from the shell.

[0010] Advantageously, the resilient means comprise a spring bearingagainst the plate and bearing against the end wall of a housing openingout into the front zone of the clearance chamber for the plate.

[0011] Preferably, the catch is disposed in the middle portion of theoblong orifice in the locking position of the plate. On its front face,the catch has a chamfer which enables said catch to be retracted whilethe shell is being put into place on the lug.

[0012] Other advantages and characteristics of the invention appear onreading the following description given by way of example and withreference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

[0013]FIG. 1 is a longitudinal section on a vertical plane of symmetrythrough a shell of the device of the invention in its locked position ona lug of a cooking utensil;

[0014]FIG. 2 is a section on a horizontal plane on line II-II of FIG. 1;

[0015]FIG. 3 is a longitudinal section on a vertical plane of symmetrythrough the plate of the locking/unlocking device;

[0016]FIG. 4 is a plan view of the FIG. 3 plate; and

[0017]FIG. 5 is an exploded view of a shell of the device of theinvention.

[0018]FIGS. 1 and 2 shows a cooking utensil handle in the form of a lug2, with only a peripheral portion 4 of the utensil being shown, saidutensil having two similar lugs 2 that are diametrically opposite. Eachlug 2 is made of metal and includes an opening 5 that is substantiallyparallel to its inner edge 6 which is fixed to the side wall of theutensil. Each lug 2 extends outwards from the utensil, substantiallyhorizontally, and presents an outer edge 7 that is substantiallyparallel to the inner edge 6.

[0019] In order to able to take hold of and lift the hot cooking utensilby means of its two lugs 2, the invention provides two shells 10 made ofa thermally insulating material, which shells are removable, and each ofwhich is suitable for fitting over one of the lugs 2.

[0020] Each shell 10, which is of horizontal section and of thicknessconsiderably greater than the horizontal section and thickness of a lug2, includes an internal cavity 11 that opens out via an oblong orifice13 in the front side face 12 of the shell 10, which face is directed inuse towards the inner edge 6 of the lug 2. The dimensions of theinternal cavity 11 are such that when the lug 2 is inserted therein viathe oblong orifice 13, the lug 2 is received without significant playinside the cavity 11, and over the greatest extent thereof, so as toprovide effective protection for the hands of a user lifting the cookingutensil by means of the shells 10 fitted over the lugs 2. In this normaluse position, the opening 5 is likewise almost completely receivedinside the cavity 11.

[0021] The shell 10 is made of two parts that meet in a substantiallymiddle horizontal join plane 14 which contains the top wall defining theinternal cavity 11. As can be seen in FIG. 5, the shell 10 is made byassembling together a bottom shell 10 a in which the cavity 11 isformed, and a top shell lob. The bottom shell presents through holes 15a and 15 b for passing fixing screws, the threads of these screwsco-operating with tapping formed in the top shell lob.

[0022] In its thickness, the shell 10 also includes a locking/unlockingdevice 20. This device essentially comprises a rigid plate 21 secured toa transverse pivot shaft 22 whose ends 22 a and 22 b project laterallyfrom the rigid plate 21 so as to constitute pivot bearings.

[0023] The transverse pivot shaft 22 is received in two semicylindricalgrooves 23 a facing each other in the shells 10 a and 10 b and openingout into the join plane 14. Only the groove 23 a of the bottom shell 10a can be seen in FIG. 5. When the two shells 10 a and 10 b are assembledtogether, the two semicylindrical grooves together constitute thehousing for the pivot shaft 22 which is then parallel to the oblongorifice 13. As can be seen in FIGS. 1 and 5, the groove 23 a is disposedbehind the cavity 11, where “front” and “rear” are defined relative tothe front side face 12 directed towards the cooking utensil.

[0024] At its front end, the plate 21 has a downwardly curved catch 24,which presents a chamfer 25 on its front face. The catch 24 serves topenetrate into the opening 5 of the lug 2 when the shell 10 is fittedonto said lug 2.

[0025] In order to enable the plate 21 to pivot on its transverse pivotshaft 22, a clearance chamber 26 is provided inside the shell 10 andreceives the plate 21.

[0026] The front zone 26 a of the clearance chamber 26 is formed in thetop shell lob. This front zone 26 a opens out above the middle zone ofthe cavity 11 and it is defined in particular by two walls that divergegoing away from the pivot shaft 22, one of said walls being the top faceof the bottom shell 10 a and the other wall 27 b being formed in the topshell lob.

[0027] The rear zone 26 b of the clearance chamber is formed in thebottom shell 10 a, and in the top shell lob. It is defined by a joinplane 14 and a sloping wall 27 a formed in the bottom shell 10 a.

[0028] The two shells 10 a and 10 b have facing through holes 28 a and28 b in alignment into which the rear zone 26 b opens out and in whichthe rear end 29 of the plate 21 is received.

[0029] The top shell 10 b also has a housing 30 which opens out into thefront zone 26 a of the clearance chamber. The end wall of this housingserves as a bearing surface for one end of a compression spring 31 whoseother end bears against the front top face of the plate 21.

[0030] The compression spring 31 urges the plate 21 towards the lockingposition. In this locking position, the catch 24 is received in theopening 5 of the lug 2, with the lug itself being received in the cavity11. The rear end 29 constitutes a control member to enable the device 20to be unlocked, with the user pressing on said rear end 29 of the plate21 by inserting a thumb into the top hole 28 a of the top shell. 10 a.The user exerts force that is sufficient to overcome the force from thecompression spring 31. The plate 21 which was initially parallel to thejoin plane 14 tilts with the shaft 22 and comes to bear against thesloping walls 27 a and 27 b, the catch 24 then being retracted into thefront zone 26 a of the clearance chamber 26. The two shells 10 can thenbe withdrawn by applying a small amount of outwardly directed radialforce thereon, either on both together or on one at a time. Since theend 0.29 furthest away from the source of heat, even in the lockedposition, is situated inside the holes 28 a and 28 b, said end 29 doesnot create any obstacle for the hand which has plenty of room to act andthe risk of untimely unlocking is avoided. In addition, the risk of achild unlocking the shell deliberately or accidentally is also avoided.

[0031] The shells 10 are put into place by the opposite procedure. It isentirely possible for the catch 24 to be initially retracted into thefront zone 26 a of the clearance chamber 26 by the thumb exerting adownwardly-directed force on the end 29. However, if the plate 21 is inits locking position prior to inserting the outer edge 7 of the lug 2into the oblong orifice 13, then the outer edge 7 will co-operate withthe chamfer 25 and cause the plate 21 to tilt so as to allow the lug 2to be inserted into the cavity 11.

[0032] The shells 10 a and lob are made by molding a thermosettinginsulating material.

[0033] A shell 10 is easy to assemble: the plate 21 is placed on thebottom shell 10 a, and then the spring 31 is put into position, afterwhich the assembly is covered with the top shell lob and the two shells10 a and lob are united by means of screws passing through the holes 15a and 15 b.

[0034] The front zone 26 a and the rear zone 26 b of the clearancechamber 26 are defined going away from the pivot shaft 22 by means ofsurfaces 14, 27 a, 27 b that diverge.

[0035] The clearance chamber 26 is defined in its front zone 26 a bydiverging surfaces which comprise the horizontal join plane 14 and thesloping wall 27 a.

[0036] Similarly, the clearance chamber 26 is defined in its rear zone26 b by diverging surfaces comprising the horizontal join plane 14 andthe sloping wall 27 b.

1/ A removable device for taking hold of, lifting, handling, and pouringfrom cooking utensils having two diametrically oppositeoutwardly-directed handles in the form of lugs (2), each of which has anopening (5) that is substantially parallel to the inner edge (6) of saidlug (2), the device being characterized by the fact that it comprises apair of removable shells (10) suitable for fitting over said lugs (2)and made of a thermally insulating material, each shell (10) presentingan internal cavity (11), which opens out laterally through an oblongorifice (13), which is suitable for receiving a lug (2) inserted throughsaid orifice (13), and which is fitted with an internallocking/unlocking device (20) suitable for co-operating with the opening(5) in the lug (2) when received in said cavity (11). 2/ A deviceaccording to claim 1, characterized by the fact that thelocking/unlocking device (20) comprises a plate (21) mounted to tilt ona pivot shaft (22) extending parallel to the oblong orifice (13) andreceived in a clearance chamber (26) formed inside the correspondingshell (10) and adapted to enable the plate (21) to tilt between alocking position and an unlocking position, one of the ends of saidplate having a projecting catch (24) suitable for being received in theopening (5) of the lug (2) on which the corresponding shell (10) isengaged when said plate (21) is in its locking position, and the otherend (29) of said plate (21) being accessible to the user to enable theuser to tilt said plate (21) into its unlocking position so as toretract said catch (24) by exerting manual pressure on said other end(29) against torque exerted by resilient means (31) tending to tilt saidplate (21) towards its locking position. 3/ A device according to claim2, characterized by the fact that the clearance chamber (26) for theplate (21) comprises a front zone (26 a) opening out above the middleportion of the cavity (11), and a rear zone (26 b) opening out into athrough orifice (28 a, 28 b) formed in the corresponding shell (10)substantially perpendicularly to the plate (21), and in which the otherend (29) of the plate (21) that is remote from the source of heat isengaged, said other end being controllable through the orifice (28 a)and not projecting in any way from the shell (10). 4/ A device accordingto claim 3, characterized by the fact that the pivot shaft (22) issituated behind the cavity (11) for receiving a lug (2). 5/ A deviceaccording to claim 4, characterized by the fact that the front zone (26a) and the rear zone (26 b) of the clearance chamber (26) are definedgoing away from the pivot shaft (22) by surfaces (14, 27 a, 27 b) thatdiverge. 6/ A device according to any one of claims 3 to 5,characterized by the fact that the resilient means comprise a spring(31) bearing against the plate (21) and bearing against the end wall ofa housing (30) opening out into the front zone (26 a) of the clearancechamber (26) for the plate (21). 7/ A device according to any one ofclaims 2 to 6, characterized by the fact that in the locking position ofthe plate (21), the catch (24) is disposed in the middle portion of theoblong orifice (13). 8/ A device according to any one of claims 2 to 6,characterized by the fact that the catch (24) has a chamfer (25) on itsfront face enabling said catch (24) to be retracted while the shell (10)is being put into place on a lug (2). 9/ A device according to any oneof claims 1 to 8, characterized by the fact that each shell (10) is madeof two parts (10 a, 10 b) that meet in a join plane (14) containing thepivot shaft of the plate (21).